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Follow Buongiorno, Gallery Direct! I have had a week full of excitement and discovery, and it’s only about to get better. Tomorrow, I leave bright and early for a six-day excursion to Venice and Florence, two of the most beautiful … Read More →

Buongiorno, Gallery Direct! I have had a week full of excitement and discovery, and it's only about to get better. Tomorrow, I leave bright and early for a six-day excursion to Venice and Florence, two of the most beautiful cities on earth, and you can be sure that I will be sharing all the great details of my trip with you upon my return!
However, that's for another time. Today I want to tell you about my trip to Rome, which I got to enjoy on Monday (which happened to be my birthday - not a terrible way to spend the day!). It was astonishing to spend time in a city so soaked in history that dates back thousands and thousands of years. I fulfilled a lifelong dream of seeing the Ancient Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and so much more!

[caption id="attachment_4104" align="aligncenter" width="528"] The Colosseum in Rome[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4101" align="aligncenter" width="528"] The Forum in Rome[/caption]
Seeing the Forum after reading about it for so long was a truly exceptional experience. It stunned me to actually encounter these ancient ruins and artifacts that I have studied for years and years. I felt the same way about seeing some of the sculptures in the Capitoline Museum (now one of my favorite museums in the world), which houses some of the most important objects from antiquity that have been discovered.
[caption id="attachment_4103" align="aligncenter" width="528"] The Capitoline Venus[/caption]
Seeing all of these cultural heritage sites and art objects got me thinking about how much classical antiquity has shaped the Western world, particularly in the art historical sense. The Renaissance and nineteenth-century neoclassicism were directly inspired by classical themes and subjects, and could not have happened without the incredible influence of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. In fact, two of my favorite exclusive Gallery Direct prints are directly inspired by the classics: Sean Jacob's Classical Vision I and Classical Vision II.
[caption id="attachment_4099" align="aligncenter" width="528"] Sean Jacobs' Classical Vision I[/caption]
I love these prints. They remind me of how even though the Roman civilization disappeared thousands of years ago, we are still connected to them in the modern day. My visit to Rome certainly proved that. What about you? Do you feel connected to classical antiquity?

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Meet the Style Bloggers

Joie Tamkin is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Gallery Direct. She grew up in San Diego and loves living in Austin, Texas. She enjoys running the trails of Austin, home decorating and has an obsession with all things digital, especially social media.